EU+Webquest

3 Key Policy Making Institutions of the EU- the Decision-Making Triangle
 * 1) The Panorama of the EU

A.EU Parliament

 * 1) It is one of the EU’s main law-making institutions, along with the Council.
 * 2) The number of MEPs for each country is roughly in proportion to its population. Under the Lisbon Treaty no country can have fewer than 6 or more than 96 MEPs. The term of office is 5 years. There are roughly 751 MEPs.
 * 3) Members are directly elected my EU voters.
 * 4) They represent the people.
 * 5) Their role is to:
 * debate and pass European laws, with the Council (called co-decision), with a qualified majority needed to pass legislation (called the cooperation procedure)
 * scrutinize other EU institutions, particularly the Commission, to make sure they are working democratically
 * debate and adopt the EU's budget, with the Council
 * the assent procedure requires the Council to obtain the European Parliament's assent before certain important decisions are taken
 * 1) Elections are based on proportional representation. Legislation requires a qualified majority in order to pass.
 * 2) The Political Parties and their number of MEPs are as follows:
 * European People's Party (EPP) - 265
 * Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) - 184
 * Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) - 84
 * European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) - 56
 * The Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens-EFA) - 55
 * European United Left- Nordic Green Left (EUL-NGL) - 35
 * Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) - 27

3.) Selection Process for members?
====The President is nominated by the European Council. The Council appoints the other Commissioners in agreement with the nominated President. The appointment of all Commissioners is subject to the approval of the European Parliament.====

5.) What are its roles/functions and powers?
====6.) How is voting handled in the Commission? Qualified majority voting (European law adopted as soon as a certain threshold of votes reached). Voting is weighted on the basis of a Member State's population and corrected in favor of less-populated countries.====
 * ====To represent and uphold the interests of the EU as a whole====
 * ====To draft proposals for new European laws====
 * ==== To manage day-to-day business of implementing EU policies and spending EU funds ====
 * ==== To propose new laws to Parliament and the Council ====
 * ==== To manage the EU's budget and allocate funding ====
 * ==== To enforce EU law along with the Court of Justice ====
 * ==== To represent the EU internationally by negotiating agreements between the EU and other countries. ====

7.) What is meant by “Agenda Setting Function”?
Each member state engages in agenda-setting. "Agenda Setting Function" includes media agenda, policy agenda, public agenda, and corporate agenda. An example of the "Agenda Setting Function" in terms of the media is that the European Commission created a Committee on Freedom and Pluralism of the Media to advise and provide recommendations for the respect, protection, support, and promotion of media freedom in Europe.

1. What is it?
It is the council that sets the political agenda of the EU and it deals with sensitive or complex issues.

2.Membership? The members are the Heads of State or Government of each member state.

3. Selection Process for Members. The members are elected in their country as the Head of State or Government.

4. Who does the Council represent? All EU member states.

5. When and where does it meet? It usually meets in Brussels at least once every sixth months.

6. What is the role/function and powers? It sets the political agenda of the EU and it deals with sensitive or complex issues.

7. Voting? The council uses consensus when voting on Treaties. Depending on the issue proposed in the Treaty they use unanimity or qualified majority voting.

8. How is it organized? Specifically: Council of the EU- What is it and what does it do? The Council of the EU is organized by the department of the issue being discussed. The members of the Council of the EU change according to the issue being discussed.

Additional Institutions
A. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) The European Court of Justice interprets EU law and makes sure that laws are applied equally to all EU countries.

B. The Court of Auditors The Court of Auditors improves the EU's financial management and reports on the use of public funds.

C. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) The EESC is the assembly of interest groups, employers, workers, and more small political groups; this allows the smaller political groups to issue their opinions to the larger institutions.

D. The Commitee of the Regions The Committee of the Regions is an advisory body representing local and regional authorities in the European Union. E. The Europen Ombudsman The European Ombudsman investigates complaints against EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies.

F. The European Central Bank (ECB) The European Central Bank (ECB, based in Frankfurt, Germany) manages the euro – the EU's single currency – and safeguards price stability in the EU. The ECB is also responsible for framing and implementing the EU’s economic and monetary policy.

G. The European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank is owned by the 27 EU countries. It borrows money on the capital markets and lends it at a low interest rate to projects that improve infrastructure, energy supply or environmental standards both inside the EU and in neighbouring or developing countries.